training and behavior library

FEATURED ARTICLES

Boost Your Dog IQ

Dealing With A Neighbor's Barking Dog

Dog Whispering in the 21st Century

Two of a Kind: Handling The Trouble With Littermates

Humping Dogs

Dog Training Methods

ARTICLES BY 4PAWS UNIVERSITY

Choosing a Dog Trainer - New!

Dealing With A Neighbor's Barking Dog

Do I Really Want a Puppy?

Dog Food Information

Dog Owner's Resolutions

Dog Training Methods - New!

Dog Whisperer Controversy

Dog Whisperer Controversy Part II: Answering the Fans

Fetch Games as Exercise

Fireworks Preparation

Food Rewards In Dog Training - New!

How Dogs Learn

On-Leash Aggression - New!

Punishment

Retractable Leashes

Safety Tips For Children

Separation Anxiety

Setting Your Dog Up To Succeed

Shock Collars: Quick Fix?

Target Training

The Pick of the Litter

To Tug or Not to Tug: Seriously, That's Still a Question?

Top 5 Rules For Greeting New Dogs

What Nobody Told You About Raising a Puppy

REWARD-BASED TRAINING

Advanced Dog Training Methods: Fading Prompts and Lures

Are they just in it for the cookie?

Clicker Training - The Basics

Clicker Training - Frequently Asked Questions

How You Get a Behavior Really Does Matter

Myths About Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training - Part 1

Myths About Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training - Part 2

What Happens When We Clicker Train?

What is a 'Behaviorist'?

Why I Switched to Positive Training

PUNISHMENT IN TRAINING

Adverse Effects of Punishment

Assessing the Alpha Roll PDF

Punishment: American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior

Punishment and Negative Reinforcement PDF

Problems and Principles for Effective Use

Punishment: How Not To Do It

Selling Snake Oil: Stopping a Behavior Doesn't Make a "Good Dog"

Shock Collars: A Review of Current Literature PDF

Shock Collar Study PDF

UNDERSTANDING DOG BEHAVIOR

Classical Conditioning

Dog Training and Behavior Terms Defined

Dog Whisperer Controversy

Dog Whisperer Controversy Part II: Answering the Fans

Dog Whispering in the 21st Century

Dog Play: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Evolution and Domestication

How Animals Percieve the World

How Dogs Learn

Generalization

Guide to Behavior Medications

Guilty Dogs

Humping Dogs

Learned Helplessness

Learning

Medications for Behavior Problems PDF

Operant and Classical Conditioning: An Animal Trainer's Guide

Premack Principle

Social Organization of the Domestic Dog - Advanced

Thinking the Way Animals Do

BODY LANGUAGE

Body Language Quiz

Calming Signals - The Art of Survival

Canine Calming Signals

Canine Stress Signs

DOMINANCE

Dominance is one of the most misunderstood and misused terms when it comes to dog behavior and training. Read these articles to learn why.

Alpha Dog Training Techniques Can Cause More Harm Than Good

Alpha Status, Dominance and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs Advanced

AVSAB statement on Dominance Theory PDF

Beyond the Dominance Paradigm

Blunt Force Trauma - Canine Reality

Canine Dominance Revisited

The "D" Word: Dominance

Debunking The Dominance Myth PDF

Experts Say Dominance-Based Dog Training Techniques Contribute to Dog Bites

History and Misconceptions of Dominance Theory/Alpha Roll

Letting Go of the Dominance Paradigm in Dogs PDF

Moving Beyond the Dominance Myth Towards Training as a Partnership PDF

Pack Leader Myths PDF

What Ever Happened to the Term Alpha Wolf? PDF

AGGRESSION

If you are experiencing a serious behavior problem with your dog, no book or article is a substitute for working with a professional, who can individually assess your dog and customize a training program based on your dog's needs.

Interdog Aggression - What Are The Warning Signs?

On-Leash Aggression New!

Resource Guarding/Possession PDF

Safety and Management

Treatment Options

Understanding Aggression New!

COMMON BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

Barking PDF

Biting Legs/Ankles

Compulsive Canine Behaviors

Coprophagia - Stool Eating

Coprophagia

Fearful Dogs

Fear of Thunder/Fireworks

Separation Anxiety

Serene Homecoming - Separation Anxiety

TRAINING TIPS AND INFORMATION

Acclimate Dog to Head Halter

Advanced Dog Training Methods: Fading Prompts and Lures

Brain Work Ideas

Chaos at the Door PDF

Desensitizing to Squirrels

Games Dogs Love

How Dog Training Works

K9 Nose Work

Keep Your Dog Busy and Stimulated

Nail Trimming for Sensitive Dogs

Preparing Your Dog For New Baby

Rewarding Recipes

Retractable Leashes

Target Training

Training for Agility

Training Reminders

Training Tether

Tug Games

Tying Dogs Out PDF

CALMING EXERCISES

Any Dog Can Learn to Live Calmly

Impulse Control

Lowering Arousal

Self Control and Overstimulation

HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR

Anxiety Medications for Dogs

Dog Food and Behavior Medications for Behavior Problems PDF

Medications for Behavior Problems PDF

Stress and Disease in Animals

Striving for Puppy Wellness:  Are Early Socialization and Disease Prevention Incompatible? PDF

GENERAL HEALTH

WHEN TO CONTACT YOUR VET

Bland Diet for Vomiting and Diarrhea

Information on Bloat in Dogs

DeSkunking Dogs

Dog Food

Dog Food Cost

Dog Food Myths

Food Allergies and Intolerances in Dogs

Home First-Aid Kit

How Healthy is Your Dog's Weight?

Life Span Study

Medications for Behavior Problems PDF

Pet Food Labels

Probiotic Supplements

Raw Diets

Signs of Canine Illness

Traveling By Car Or Truck With Pets New

Warning: Tennis Balls and Large Dogs!

What to Ask Your Vet

DOG PARKS/DAY CARE

Dog Parks PDF

Puppy Play Groups

Doggy Daycare and Dog Parks

Pit Bulls and Dog Parks

CHOOSING A DOG/PUPPY

Buying Puppies From the Internet

Everything You Wanted to Know About Puppies But Just Forgot to Ask

Finding the Perfect Dog

Getting a 'Used' Dog

How Not to Pick a Rescue Dog

The Pick of the Litter

Puppies From "Working Lines" in Pet Homes

Puppy Preparedness Information

Raising Siblings (Littermates)

Two of a Kind: Handling The Trouble With Littermates

What Nobody Told You About Raising a Puppy

BREEDING

Learn to Breed

Facts About Breeding

Want to breed your dog?

Whelping 101

SO YOU WANT TO GET A...

Any breed of dog can display aggressive behavior. Buying a Labrador or Golden Retriever is not going to guarantee that you will avoid aggression towards humans or animals, nor is adopting a Pit Bull a guarantee that you won't. See the section on aggression, above, to learn more about what causes aggression in dogs.

The breed of dog you choose should fit your lifestyle. Working breeds are very active and need more than an evening walk and a 6-week puppy class. All dogs need socialization, structure, environmental management and training.

***Responsible Breeder Checklist***

Do I really want a....

Puppy Australian Shepherd Basenji Beagle Belgian Malinois Border Collie Boxer Dachshund Dalmatian Doodles and Other Designer Breeds #1 Doodles and Other Designer Breeds #2 English Bulldog

Jack Russell Terrier German Shepherd Dog Golden Retriever Labradoodle Labrador Retriever Pit Bull Pug Rottweiler Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie) Siberian Husky Weimaraner

 

BREED BANS/BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION (BSL)

Breed Ban or Better Pet Selection?

Politics and Pit Bulls

Breed Specific Legislation in the United States

Pit Bull Rescue Central

Find the Pit Bull
Think you know what a Pit Bull looks like? Take this test to see if your reporting skills would be accurate!

LINKS FOR KIDS!

Safe and Sound

Learn With Dogs

Safety Tips For Children

How to Love Your Dog

Kids Page!

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

4Paws University offers Dog Safety presentations for your child's school or organization. For more information, please contact us.

Free Webinar:  Dog Safety

KADIE

Living With Kids and Dogs

Family Paws

Safe Kids/Safe Dogs